UC Davis

AbstractRecent policy changes like AB 705 and 1705 have drastically changed curriculum, course offerings, and placement practices in community college ESL departments across California (Rodriguez, et al., 2022; Shaw, et al., 2018). Though many large-scale studies have examined transfer, completion and throughput rates (David & Kanno, 2021; Hayward, et al., 2022; Park, 2019; Rodriguez, et al., 2022), few studies have conducted qualitative research to investigate the implementation of these policies during a global pandemic. In a longitudinal mixed methods exploratory case study of a Northern California community college (NCCC), I noted patterns across multiple sources of data and created a portrait of the institution (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997). First, I compared the changes from before and after AB 705 and 1705 and emergency remote instruction in ESL course curricula to understand how the bill was implemented at this community college. To understand students’ goals for enrollment, I administered a survey (n = 120) to ESL students at the college. I also conducted interviews with students, faculty, staff, and administrators and analyzed student written work to uncover their perceptions and underlying ideologies about higher education and ESL. The findings provide implications for policymakers as well as educators in the wake of the bills. Keywords: AB 705, policy, language ideology, portraiture, community college, ESL